Art song

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

An art song is a vocal music composition, usually written for one singer with piano accompaniment. By extension, the term "art song" is used to refer to the genre of such songs. The art song repertoire is considered by afficionadoes to create (in the right hands) musical experiences unsurpassed in sophistication, subtlety and dramatic truth.

Although categorizing a piece of vocal music as art song rather than as another type of song (such as a folk song, or an aria) can be difficult sometimes, most art songs are

settings of lyric poetry
not part of a staged work (such as an opera or a musical)
intended for performance as part of a recital or other relatively formal social occasion

but exceptions can be found to any of these rules. Although piano accompaniment is usual, the singer may be accompanied by instrumental forces of any number, including a full orchestra. A guitar, a harp or a string quartet are some of the more common accompaniments. Songs may be written to be performed in a group to form a narrative or dramatic whole, comprising a song cycle.

A folk song can form the basis of an art song, but a composer must reinvent it with respect to one or more of form, harmony, melody, rhythm or sonority.

An art song can be in any language, although English songs, French mélodies, German Kunstlieder, Italian canzoni and Russian romansy are the most numerous. Dozens of the 600 lieder of Franz Schubert including "Die Forelle" and "Gretchen am Spinnrade" are among the most famous art songs. Some other prominent composers of art song are Johannes Brahms, Benjamin Britten, Gabriel Fauré, Gustav Mahler, Francis Poulenc, Sergei Rachmaninov, Robert Schumann, and Hugo Wolf.

Art songs play an especially central role, first, in the oeuvre of the Second Viennese School, and then throughout the twentieth century. Singers such as Cathy Berberian, Bethany Beardsley and Jan DeGaetani inspired many composers of art songs, and earned for themselves a celebrity comparable to the best known composers of their day.